Saraton
Saraton is a grim, mist-wreathed town clinging to the northern edge of Lake Sarat, surrounded by the endless murk of the Bolcah Swamp. Choked by poverty and ruled with a cruel hand by the iron-willed Greater Lord Carruth Slechton, life here is harsh and quiet—where whispers travel farther than hope. Alchemists brew potent medicines from the wild flora, fishermen haul in fang-mouthed catches, and orchard keepers tend to gnarled trees bearing strange, resilient fruit. Beneath its sagging causeways and moss-covered rooftops, Saraton survives—haunted by superstition, steeped in secrecy, and bound to the swamp it calls home.
Demographics
Life in Saraton is hard. The people are suspicious and quiet, speaking in hushed tones and keeping to themselves. Most have grown up knowing the swamp better than they know each other. Superstition runs deep, and many still leave offerings to the Swamp Spirits—mythical beings said to dwell deep within the bog.
Despite the oppression, there is a resilience to the people of Saraton. Herbalists, alchemists, and swamp-folk continue to innovate, crafting powerful salves and tinctures from local plants like Bogroot, Glowleaf, and the elusive Sarat Lily—a golden-petaled flower said to cure fever and ward off curses.
Government
Greater Lord Carruth Slechton, once a feared general in King Kenric Vilkors’ army, was gifted Saraton as a reward for his service. Now old and cruel, Slechton governs the town with a fist of iron and a heart of stone. His keep—Griefhall—looms above the town, draped in dead ivy and black banners.
Slechton ensures obedience through a well-armed local militia known as the Mudguards, known for their brutal tactics and eerie green-painted armor. Public floggings, high taxes, and rations keep the townsfolk too hungry and tired to rebel.
Industry & Trade
- Alchemy & Apothecary: Saraton’s main export is alchemical. Though the town is poor, its tinctures and medicinal potions are valued throughout Bolmek and beyond. Guilds like the Green Bottle Circle and The Mirehand Brethren carefully guard their recipes.
- Fishing: Lake Sarat provides eels, mudfish, and the prized silver-gilled fangfish, which is both a delicacy and a dangerous catch.
- Swamp Agriculture: Orchards of twisted fruit trees grow from the boggy land—swamp pears, marrowberries, and frost gourds among them. These crops are hardy, strange, and flavorful.
Guilds and Factions
- Green Bottle Circle
- The Mirehand Brethren
Points of interest
- Griefhall Keep: The fortress of Carruth Slechton. Cold, imposing, and rumored to house torture chambers below.
- The Weeping Market: A daily gathering of vendors, mostly selling alchemical supplies, strange swamp produce, and questionable meat.
- The Bogroot Temple: A crumbling druidic shrine, long abandoned, where some say spirits of the swamp still linger.
- The Black Reed Inn: A half-sunken inn built atop a knoll, popular among traders and traveling alchemists.
- The Leeching Pools: Shallow, sulfuric hot springs where the desperate come for healing—either from the leeches or the mystics that tend them.
Geography
Saraton lies on the north shore of Lake Sarat, surrounded by the dense, fog-laden expanse of the Bolcah Swamp—the largest and most treacherous wetland in all of Pharus. The ground squelches underfoot, thick with mud and moss, and gnarled trees rise like skeletal hands from the waterlogged earth. The swamp stretches for miles, filled with whispering reeds, glowing fungi, and countless hidden dangers.
The town itself is built on slightly elevated land, with weather-beaten wooden causeways and moss-covered stone roads. Stilted buildings rise over boggy channels, and the air always carries the scent of wet decay and herbal tinctures.
Climate
Cold, Wet Continental.
Type
Town
Population
2920
Location under
Additional Rulers/Owners
Owning Organization